


SR Beta Version

by tsukinofaerii



Series: Digital Wonderland [2]
Category: Marvel 616
Genre: Civil War, M/M, holy shit what's happened to Tony?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-19
Updated: 2010-03-19
Packaged: 2017-10-08 03:23:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/72170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsukinofaerii/pseuds/tsukinofaerii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Civil War, Tony has to cope somehow, and the Extremis is a better enabler than liquor or work ever could be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	SR Beta Version

SR-beta-1-0.exe

  
The first time Tony does it, it's practically an accident. Handling S.H.I.E.L.D was hell, and programming relaxes him. Half-way through, he realizes how insane it is. He does it anyway.

_Run SR-beta1-0.exe_

Steve materializes on the couch across from him, sprawled on his back asleep like a hundred times before. It's perfect. Even his chest rises with each breath. A pressure in Tony's head vanishes, like a river after the dam's broken. It's just visual, but it's only the first beta version—there's plenty of room to expand.

Tony knows he's an addictive personality. He just hadn't realized how much.   


SR-beta-2-0.exe

  
By the time he's up to _SR-beta2-5.exe_, the program's always running. Steve follows him everywhere now. Tony's added details since that first, simple construct: the scent of Steve's aftershave, the creak of leather, and limited effects to the environment. One time he even has to turn off beta-2 to make sure the door isn't really broken.

He uses old memories give Steve back the basics of his own personality. The system glitches whenever it faces new input.

The first time he tells Steve _I love you_, it crashes. That was beta-2-0. Now Steve looks disgusted, which is definitely an improvement.   


SR0-beta-3-0.exe

  
One thing Tony doesn't give _SR-beta-3.exe_ is speech. He could do it—there's plenty of data to use. And Tony misses the sound of Steve's voice, even if it's yelling at him.

The trouble is that If Steve spoke, he's not sure he'd be able to keep from answering. One trip to the psychologist had been plenty. Pepper's already forcing him to take the antidepressant he'd been prescribed. If he's not careful, she'll have him on suicide watch again.

So even though Tony misses it, Steve doesn't speak. He's pretty sure Steve doesn't have anything to say to him anyway.  


SR-omega.exe

  
Insanity, Tony knows, has always been something of an "if-then" statement for him. It's just another variable to plan for. The Stark-flavored popsicle S.H.I.E.L.D keeps proves that. So does the blood-splatter doppelganger in his living room.

First he thinks it's a glitch. Then it _speaks_. Steve wasn't programmed to speak. Just in case, he shuts down _SR-omega.exe_. Steve looks betrayed when he vanishes, like Tony had killed him again.

Steve-2 doesn't even flicker.

Standby is only a little less than absolutely fatal. Looking at Steve-2 in his blood-stained costume, Tony wishes he'd made a shut-down feature instead.

"Password: Rogers-Omega-Five-Seven-Two. Execute."


End file.
